Proposal would see several galleries downtown, rather than one big building

A new proposal from realtor/art collector Bob Rennie calls for keeping the existing Vancouver Art Gallery and building five other gallery spaces downtown. He says it would provide more space than VAG’s proposed large new gallery and cost half as much.

Photograph by: Bill Keay
, Vancouver Sun

Bob Rennie has been critical of the Vancouver Art Gallery’s ambitious plan to build a new gallery that could cost $300 million. Now Vancouver’s most successful real estate marketer has teamed up with urban demography expert David Baxter to offer an alternative: a $150-million plan that would see the VAG spread out over several buildings.

Rennie — one of Canada’s top art collectors — wants to keep the neo-classical art gallery building and use it for “historical art” such as Emily Carr and the Group of Seven. The basement storage space would be converted into a gallery for conceptual photography, and the storage moved to another building.

A new 50,000 to 60,000 sq. ft. space for major shows would be built a few blocks away in Larwill Park at Cambie and Georgia. Rennie is proposing the space be built into the base of new highrise towers. He expects developers to build it in return for the city granting increased density for the towers.

There would also be four smaller VAG galleries downtown for First Nations art, Asian/East Asian art, religious and spiritual art, and graphics and design.

Rennie’s 22-page plan is much more detailed than anything released by the Art Gallery about its proposed gallery, also in Larwill Park. The VAG has said it would like to have 330,000 sq. ft. of space in its new building, but has declined to provide specifics or dollar estimates.

VAG head Kathleen Bartels was diplomatic about Rennie’s proposal.

“I haven’t really had a chance to review it,” she said. “All I can say at this point is that we certainly welcome all comments and contributions from members of the greater community.”

Bartels said the VAG hopes to get “confirmation” in February from the city that it can build a gallery on a two-acre site in Larwill Park, former home of the Greyhound bus depot.

She said the gallery has fulfilled the requirements the city demanded when it gave the gallery a “two-year window” on the site. If the gallery is approved by the city, the search for an architect can begin, along with fundraising.

“I think we’re in a very positive position,” she said. “We already have $50 million from the province secured in our bank, and nearly $40 million in pledges, based on site conformation from the private sector.”

Rennie’s proposal was emailed to many people involved in the proposed VAG relocation, including Premier Christy Clark, Vancouver city manager Penny Ballem and VAG chair Peeter Wesik.

Rennie has experience in gallery building — he spent millions converting the oldest building in Chinatown into a stunning private art gallery — and hopes his proposal will stir up discussion about the VAG’s future.

“David Baxter and I thought ‘Let’s put forward our version and let people talk to it,’” said Rennie. “We don’t have to be right, but let’s bring about discussion.”

Rennie has been outspoken in his criticism of the VAG’s plan for a new gallery, which would likely be designed by a pricey internationally-renowned architect. He thinks the focus should be on building a collection, not a flashy building.

“Star-chitecture isn’t the answer,” said Rennie. “Let’s look after the contents before the box.”

Rennie also questions whether the VAG can raise $300 million for a new gallery in the current economic climate. Even if it does, it could hurt fundraising by other institutions that depend on philanthropy.

“We’re not a head office city,” he said. “We don’t have head offices that are trying to attract goodwill from consumers and art viewers, so patronage is different.

“I think we’re in an economy where we should punch below our weight, and I think for one institution to drain the philanthropy pool (isn’t good for the city).”

Photographer Roy Arden is one of 266 artists, curators and visual arts professionals who signed an online petition in support of a new VAG building at Larwill Park. He doesn’t like Rennie’s proposal.

“I don’t think the current director would be interested in implementing any bit of this proposal and I highly doubt that any future director would either,” he said by email.

“The Larwill Park site is probably the last chance for a new art gallery in the city core. If the VAG doesn’t secure that site, there likely won’t be a new gallery for many decades to come, and then it will have to be outside the core. That would be a real tragedy, and I hope the city understands that.”

But Rennie’s proposal has intrigued others.

“It’s really commendable that Bob’s put that effort into it,” said developer Ian Gillespie of Westbank, whose company did the Woodward’s project and the Shangri-La Hotel/condos.

“I would hope that other options – Bob’s is one of them – that other options will be part of the discussion. I think Larwill Park is one option, the current location is an option, Bob’s idea of having multiple locations is another option.

“I think what’s important is that the process comes to a conclusion, and a plan for a sustainable art gallery is executed. That’s what everybody wants, they just want to get this show on the road.”

Gillespie said the key to any new VAG building is whether it’s sustainable.

“The last thing the city needs is an art gallery that consumes a vast amount of resources and then isn’t an incredible success,” he said.

“Imagine what that does to so many other art groups who are struggling. When someone comes to a donor and says ‘We want you to put money into an art gallery’ and they believe in it and they say ‘Great, let’s go for it,’ it probably means they’re not putting money into something else.

“There is only so much money to go around, so we have to do this in a way that’s truly sustainable, and also sustainable in the context of its operating costs.”

Rennie’s proposal notes that there are several multi-venue galleries in the world, such as the Seattle Art Museum (three locations), the Honolulu Museum of Art (five), and the Tate in Britain (four).

Rennie’s proposal says renovating the current gallery would cost $34 million, ($17 million for the upstairs gallery and $17 million to change the basement from storage to gallery). The new gallery space in Larwill Park would be $35 million, the four small galleries would be $7 million apiece ($28 million total), and a new 95,000 sq. ft. storage space would be $28 million.

The total construction and land acquisition costs would be $125 million, and $25 million would be set aside for acquisitions. The combined space in all the buildings would be 342,000 sq. ft., including 178,000 sq. ft. of exhibit space. The new space at Larwill Park could be open by 2018, when renovations could begin on the current gallery, which could be finished by 2020.

Gillespie hopes something gets resolved, quickly.

“At the end of the day it’s supposed to be about the art, it isn’t supposed to be about the premises,” he said.

“We shouldn’t be having a conversation about the premises, you and I should be having a conversation about whether they should buy that (piece by Jeff) Wall or that (Rodney) Graham or that (Ian) Wallace or that Ken Lum.

“That should be the conversation, not about which architect is going to build the art gallery.”

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A new proposal from realtor/art collector Bob Rennie calls for keeping the existing Vancouver Art Gallery and building five other gallery spaces downtown. He says it would provide more space than VAG’s proposed large new gallery and cost half as much.

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